This blog began as an online newspaper about Kings Cross, Sydney. It now focuses on the deep problems of drug prohibition - which are so intrinsic to Kings Cross anyway - and exposes the many flaws in the prohibitionist argument, and the pseudo-science that governments fund to prop up their unjust and ineffective laws. Comments are welcome, but please be polite! Content on this site reflects only the views of the writer and are not necessarily those of the editor or any other organisation.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Carr to sell off more of the farm

STOP PRESS -- a modified version of the story below was published in the SMH today in Letters. Call me a media junky...

The announced closure of the Newcastle city rail is a disaster. It will increase car traffic while robbing inner city Novocastrians of their transport lifeline. It will damage CBD businesses because changing to buses at Broadmeadow, especially while carrying shopping, is a time-consuming hassle. It is heritage heresy and ecological vandalism.

Mr Carr simply wants the money for the real estate and yet more profit for his developer mates. The only force that can stop it would seem to be the transport unions, and I do hope they act -- even if it means more transport turmoil for Sydney!

Meanwhile, take a day train to Newcastle while you still can -- it's a classic journey, especially the Hawkesbury section, and the beachside city is a great place to spend a weekend.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

Hello , I hear that the rail corridor will be retained and likely used to run light rail...the nature of light rail is that it needs none of the cumbersome equipment to run trains as at present...signal boxes, signalpersons, the time-eating safety buffers of the type-F level crossings. The existing overhead power supply and rail can be altered to suit relatively easily, as seen in Melbourne where light rail has successfully replaced heavy on the City-St.Kilda and City-Port Melbourne corridors. The barrier seperating the CBD and the foreshore in Newcastle will be lowered, allowing the city to become more in touch with the foreshore close by. Trams operate on the principle of driver sight, and have the ability to stop much faster than heavy trains, making the use of many more pedestrian crossings feasible. I read figures quoted by the Newcastle Herald...the community looks forward to hundreds of millions of dollars pouring into the city with the influx of people and subsequent development. One has to admit that the Hunter Street area is in dire need of refurbishment...the streetscape is somewhat desolate and begs for businesses to come back. Let's hope that the tram option will be utilised. Broadmeadow rail yard will be expanded, probably using the old gasworks yards, another platform created for the diesel services to Maitland/Telarah, and subway extended to suit. So shopping aside,(and convenience is paramount!), a workable transport model is achievable! Cheers, Biff.

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About Me

Hello again. world. I am a journalist, designer and photographer eking out a living by grazing on economic opportunities that come my way. I have run my business, Superkern Design Pty Ltd, since 1991. The gross oversupply of designers being pumped out by a dysfunctional university system has made it very difficult to survive as a designer since the late '90s, but on balance I like the advantages of working for myself at home. The older I get, the more human affairs look farcical. The average person is pretty damn average, you see. But there you go. I try to inject some commonsense into the public discourse which, at least in Sydney, is increasingly dominated by moral panics and middle-class agendas of control and gentrification. I don't quite understand why people from alternative subcultures tend to be quite happy for the middle class to live their lives as they wish, but the reverse is not true. And yet this same middleclass constantly use the words "diversity" and "tolerance". It's a funny old world.
See my Superkern and photoart sites linked above.